Enhancing Assessment Literacy in Professional Counseling: A Practical Overview of Factor Analysis

Assessment literacy is an essential competency area for professional counselors who administer tests and interpret the results of participants’ scores. Using factor analysis to demonstrate internal structure validity of test scores is a key element of assessment literacy. The underuse of psychometrically sound instrumentation in professional counseling is alarming, as a careful review and critique of the internal structure of test scores is vital for ensuring the integrity of clients’ results. A professional counselor’s utilization of instrumentation without evidence of the internal structure validity of scores can have a number of negative consequences for their clients, including misdiagnoses and inappropriate treatment planning. The extant literature includes a series of articles on the major types and extensions of factor analysis, including exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), higher-order CFA, and multiple-group CFA. However, reading multiple psychometric articles can be overwhelming for professional counselors who are looking for comparative guidelines to evaluate the validity evidence of scores on instruments before administering them to clients. This article provides an overview for the layperson of the major types and extensions of factor analysis and can serve as reference for professional counselors who work in clinical, research, and educational settings.

A realist synthesis of quality improvement curricula in undergraduate and postgraduate medical education: what works, for whom, and in what contexts?

BackgroundWith the integration of quality improvement (QI) into competency-based models of physician training, there is an increasing requirement for medical students and residents to demonstrate competence in QI. There may be factors that commonly facilitate or inhibit the desired outcomes of QI curricula in undergraduate and postgraduate medical education. The purpose of this review was to synthesise attributes of QI curricula in undergraduate and postgraduate medical education associated with curricular outcomes.MethodsA realist synthesis of peer-reviewed and grey literature was conducted to identify the common contexts, mechanisms, and outcomes of QI curricula in undergraduate and postgraduate medical education in order to develop a programme theory to articulate what works, for whom, and in what contexts.Results18854 records underwent title and abstract screening, full texts of 609 records were appraised for eligibility, data were extracted from 358 studies, and 218 studies were included in the development and refinement of the final programme theory. Contexts included curricular strategies, levels of training, clinical settings, and organisational culture. Mechanisms were identified within the overall QI curricula itself (eg, clear expectations and deliverables, and protected time), in the didactic components (ie, content delivery strategies), and within the experiential components (eg, topic selection strategies, working with others, and mentorship). Mechanisms were often associated with certain contexts to promote educational and clinical outcomes.ConclusionThis research describes the various pedagogical strategies for teaching QI to medical learners and highlights the contexts and mechanisms that could potentially account for differences in educational and clinical outcomes of QI curricula. Educators may benefit from considering these contexts and mechanisms in the design and implementation of QI curricula to optimise the outcomes of training in this competency area.

Counseling Competencies for the English-Speaking Caribbean

The present study utilized the Delphi method to develop a list of competency areas for counseling professionals practicing with residents of the English-Speaking Caribbean. Thirty-seven counseling experts, predominately those working in school settings in the Bahamas, completed one to three rounds of an interactive survey in which they provided an initial 272 competency suggestions and ranked the importance of each competency area. Through thematic analysis, these competencies collapsed into the tripartite model of multicultural competence: Awareness, Knowledge, and Skills. Final competency lists included importance ratings via Likert-type scale responses to 11 Knowledge areas, 13 Awareness and Attitudes areas, and 24 Skills areas. The cultural and professional significance of these competency areas are analyzed and described. Last, we present strengths and limitations of the current study, alongside implications for practice, advocacy, education/training, and research.

Reviewing Competence in Practice: Reform of Continuing Professional Development for Irish Pharmacists

There has been significant reform of the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements for Irish pharmacists over the past five years. In 2015, a new system was established that includes quality assurance of practitioner engagement in CPD and quality assurance of practitioner competence. Pharmacists must now plan and document their learning activities in an electronic portfolio (ePortfolio) and they must participate in an ePortfolio Review process once every five-year period. A random sample is chosen each year to participate in a review of their practice for pharmacists in patient-facing roles. This paper provides an overview of the development and implementation of these quality assurance processes and it considers the outcomes that were observed in the first four years of implementation. By April 2019, almost 3000 pharmacists had participated in the ePortfolio Review process over the preceding three years, of which 96.2% demonstrated appropriate engagement in CPD. In the preceding two years, almost 200 pharmacists had participated in Practice Review, of which 97.5% have demonstrated the required level of competence across four competencies. All of the pharmacists who did not demonstrate the required level of competence in one or more competency area during Practice Review had previously demonstrated appropriate engagement in CPD through the ePortfolio Review process. This raises interesting questions regarding the use of engagement in continuing education (CE) or CPD as a surrogate measure for competence by professions.

Development of a framework for digital literacy

Purpose Institutions seeking to develop or expand digital literacy programs face the challenge of navigating varied definitions for digital literacy itself. In answer to this challenge, this paper aims to share a process for developing a shared framework for digital literacy at one institution, including drawing on themes in existing frameworks, soliciting campus feedback and making revisions. Design/methodology/approach A draft digital literacy framework was created following the work of an initial library task force. Focus groups were conducted to gather feedback on the framework and to identify areas for future development. Findings Focus groups yielded 38 written responses. Feedback themes related to gaps in the framework, structural suggestions and common challenges for learners. Themes in focus group feedback led to several framework revisions, including the addition of Curation as a competency area, the removal of information communication technologies as its own competency area, and the inclusion of Learner rather than Student at the center of the framework. Practical implications The approaches described in this case study can be adapted by those looking to create a shared framework or definition for digital literacy on their campuses, as well as to create or revise definitions for other related literacies. Originality/value This case study presents an adaptable process for getting started with broad digital literacy initiatives, within the context of existing digital literacy frameworks worldwide.

3368 Mentoring from the ground up: Improving mentoring relationships by empowering mentees

OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: Program Directors and Ph.D. students within the Clinical and Translational Science (CTS) track identified mentorship development as a knowledge gap and educational priority. Most mentors are not provided education in how to be an effective mentor. Similarly, most mentees are not provided education or training on how to optimize a mentoring relationship for their learning and professional development (Ramani, 2006). We adapted mentor training curriculum developed by the University of Wisconsin and facilitated an eight-hour program to better prepare learners to be empowered mentees as well as future mentors. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: We utilized the Mentoring Competency Assessment (MCA) to measure CTS Ph.D. students’ self-perceptions of eight competencies through a pre and post-intervention survey design (Fleming, etal., 2013). We adapted an evidence-based curriculum (Pfund, etal., 2014) to be delivered to Ph.D. students within an existing structure of educational offerings and incorporated case based discussions, frequent low-stakes formative assessments, and peer-to-peer facilitation to heighten authenticity, relevance and immediacy to the learning experiences. This structured curriculum, intended to increase skills, knowledge, and behaviors to make students more active participants in their mentoring relationships, focuses on one competency area per monthly session and was implemented May-December 2018. Session participation by program alumni allows for contextual demonstration and competency application. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Preliminary data demonstrates heightened perceived competency in most domains assessed. We found mentors generally rated their mentee’s skills at a higher level than the mentees’ perceived ratings. We also saw significant differences between groups in a few domains e. g. new vs. established relationships, females vs. males, etc. Individual session evaluations are extremely positive, and the students routinely report behavioral changes as a result of these sessions. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: We have demonstrated the successful adaptation and innovative facilitation of a successful mentorship development program for Ph.D. students. We propose that several factors discussed are critical in the success of this type of curriculum. Preliminary conclusion: A structured curriculum in mentoring relationships increases Ph.D. mentee empowerment and readiness to lead future mentoring relationships.

Transforming the Siyabuswa Community Centre into a Smart Centre

Dr. Jackie Phahlamohlaka reflected on what he would propose to the board regarding the transformation of the existing Siyabuswa Educational Improvement and Development Trust (SEIDET) community centre to a smart community centre. As the Competency Area Manager at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in South Africa, the founder of SEIDET and the chairman of its Board of Trustees, he had for over twenty-four years led socio-economic development efforts and ICT related research linked to SEIDET (SEIDET, 2014). These programmes ranged from high school supplementary tutorials on mathematics and science to adult and computer literacy training of the broader community in the Siyabuswa area of Mpumalanga Province, Republic of South Africa. These questions were: (1) How could SEIDET leverage or create affordable cyber network infrastructure in the envisaged smart centre? (2) How could the smart centre assist the local community and individuals in the community to be enabled to participate in local economic development? (3) How could SEIDET get the local government administration, traditional leaders and the local community to buy-in to this smart centre development project in order to ensure its sustainability?

Emergency management leadership in 2030: Shaping the next generation meta-leader

The complexities, interdependencies, and ambiguity that face next generation emergency management meta-leaders in an ever-evolving global community heighten the expectation and need for competencies that far exceed those common in practice today and necessitate the ability to move seamlessly through the dimensions of meta-leadership (ie, the person, the situation, and connectivity) while utilizing scientific-based evidence, information, resources, processes, and tools. The objective of this effort was to examine the recently developed next generation emergency management competencies through a meta-leadership lens by juxtaposing the competencies and the meta-leadership model. This resulted in a new framing of the skills and attributes within the meta-leadership model as they are relevant to each competency. Selected trends, drivers, and challenges were used to provide examples within each competency area of the utility of meta-leadership to next generation emergency management practice. This effort also offers training and education implications for next generation emergency management meta-leaders. The examination of the new framing created in this effort is intended to prompt dialog and research within the emergency management practice and academic communities that furthers the practice and study of emergency management.

Teaching Competencies for the Online Environment | Enseigner les compétences pour l’environnement en ligne

The goals of this study are to identify key competency areas that lead to success in online instruction and to develop a framework that supports professional development and self-assessment. To identify the key competency areas, skills and behaviours presented within current literature were analyzed. Secondly, gaps were identified and levels of competence were determined within each key competency area. The resulting analysis produced the Online Teaching Competency (OTC) Matrix including five competency areas: Community & Netiquette, Active Teaching/Facilitating, Instructional Design, Tools & Technology, and Leadership & Instruction. This leveled competency matrix can be used to inform professional development in the online teaching environment and is also a useful guide in the areas of self-assessment, portfolio design, and the development and evaluation of professional development opportunities. Cette étude a comme objectifs de cerner les principaux domaines de compétences qui mènent à la réussite de l’instruction en ligne et de développer un cadre qui soutient le développement professionnel et l’autoévaluation. Afin de cerner les principaux domaines de compétences, une analyse des aptitudes et comportements présentés dans les études actuelles a été réalisée. Deuxièmement, les écueils ont été cernés et les niveaux de compétence ont été déterminés au sein de chaque domaine de compétences. L’analyse qui en a résulté a généré la matrice des compétences de l’enseignement en ligne, comprenant cinq domaines de compétences : collectivité et nétiquette, enseignement actif/animation active, conception de l’instruction, outils et technologie, ainsi que leadership et instruction. Cette matrice graduée peut servir à façonner le développement professionnel dans un environnement d’enseignement en ligne. Elle sert aussi de guide pratique pour les domaines de l’auto-évaluation, de la conception de portfolio et du développement et de l’évaluation des occasions de développement professionnel.

Black Women and Science in Higher Education

This chapter gives an account on the experiences of a female STEM faculty member's journey from high school through graduate school, and then entering the workforce as she navigates the high and low points of being a black woman in a science field, as a science educator that will mentor other black women scientists, while also trying to sustain a viable family life. Her introduction to science, the profiles of mentors that provided her a support network, and the barriers that continue to plague black women in their preparation for a career in science, remains as blockades to access, to what is currently considered the most needed competency area to fill the workforce of the 21st century.